Reinforced concrete construction.



H. L. LEWEN. REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION I'ILED JULY 13, 1910.

995 969. Patented June 13, 1911 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

5 Hr" yr H. L. LEWEN.

REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION rum) JULY 13, 1910.

5 0 Patented June 13, 1911.

2 SKEETBSHEET 2.

WW i :11 i}:

In 06' niar' .fimyj. L ell/en FUNITEDV STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. LEWEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

Improvements in Reinforced Concrete Construction, of which the following is a specifire-proof and earthquake-proof buildings,

tication.

This lnventlon relates to a reinforced concrete construction for use 1n the erection of and pertains especially to a reinforcing element and concrete slab for constructing hollow walls, partitions, floors, ceilings, roofs, etc.

The object of this invention is to provide a reinforcing element and reinforced con- 'crete slab, which is especially applicable for use in the construction of hollow walls and partitions in buildings which are liable to be subjected to shock, as in earthquakes and tremblings of the ground; which can be made up at the factory and shipped complete to be erected into the building, doing away with the use of all wood, either for molds or other purposes.

A further object is to provide a concrete slab, which, .while being capable of sustain ing great loads and resisting torsional strains, will permit of a certain lateral bending movement when subjected to shock or vibration.

Another object is to provide a reinforced concrete slab which may be readily assembled in a wall or partition and easily removed therefrom, and which is simple in construction and economical in manufacture.

The invention consists .of the parts and the construction and combination ofparts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isan elevation of my invention with parts broken away, showing the reinforcements. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 00-01:, Fig. 1, showing the slabs. as assembled to form a hollow wall. Fig. 3 is a detail in section showing a yielding corrugation or hollow rib formed on the reinforcing plate. Fig. 4 is a nodflied form of the corrugation or rib. Fig. 5 1s a perspective view showing the invention as applied in building construction to walls and roofs.

As a foundation or base for my slab, and as a building element per se of novel design and utility, I employ a sheet-metal strip A,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 13, 1911 Application filed July 13, 1910. Serial No. 571,743.

of suitable size, weight and length. I prefer to use thin sheet-metal, such as is employed ordinarily in making metal lath or the like, and which strip or sheet, before shaped in the manner herein described, possesses little inherent rigidity. The sheet may be two feet, more or less in width, and ten or twelve feet, more or less, in length; generally its length is determined by the height of the wall or partition into which it is to be installed. The sheet is generally flat and imperforate, except as hereinafter described. The sheet is rolled or otherwise formed with longitudinal corrugations or hollow ribs 2, and the side edges are bent to one side at right angles, as shown at 3, and oppositely to the ribs 2, and are then outwardly bent, as at 4, parallel with the body of the strip to form fasteningv flanges and strengthening webs, as later described. These ribs 2 are spacedat regular intervals, preferably about six inches, moreor less, apart, on the side of the plate opposite flanges 3 and 4, and project outwardly therefrom a distance proportional to the thickness of the finished slab. They are shaped in section, preferably as shown in Fig. 3, the sheet metal being bowed outwardly in the form of a U, and slightly contracted near the juncture with the plate A so as to provide a rib capable of yielding slightly to compressions transversely of the plate, and also permitting the plate to bend slightly, and avoiding surfaces which would tend to crack the cement or concrete where the latter is thinnest, at point 5, Fig. 2, when subject to expansion and contraction by heat, cold or seismic disturbances. The ribs 2 are perforated transversely at intervals throughout their length, as shown at 6, in Fig. 3, usually about six inches apart, to admitof the insertion of reinforcing rods 7, which are laced in and out, through one rib and over another, in alternate fashion throughout the length of each plate A, and all the connected plates, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. The outer ends of the truss rods 7 extend beyond the outermost ribs of a plate and may be split or forked, or otherwlse headed, as shown at 8, to provide an anchor in the grouting which fills the space 9 between the adjacent flanges 3 of two adjoining plates. If desired, the alternate rows of rods 7 may be woven through the alternate ribs 2,

as shown in dotted lines, Fig. '2. The flanges 3 generally extend a distance equal tohalf the width or thickness of the desired wall or nel shoe or guide partition; and the flanges 4-are perforated at suitable intervals to receive bolts 10 when the finished slabs are set in position, as later described.

In addition to the reinforcing rods 7, I may employ the diagonally arranged brace wires 11, and interlace them across the face of the plate A, the wires 11 being preferably wrapped around each reinforcing rod 7, as shown in Fig, 1. The diagonal wires 11 strengthen the finished slab against diagonal strains, the transverse reinforcing rods 7 resisting lateral strain and the vertical ribs 2 resisting vertical strain. Y

After the reinforcing rods 7 and diagonal wires 11 are inplace, the face of the plate A is covered with concrete, cement, or other suitable plastic material 12 to the required depth, it being understood that the present invention contemplates that, as a general rule the plate is coated while lying in a horizontal position, and before being assembled into the building; the finished slab constituting a building element made up of the plate A, or its equivalent, the rods 7, wires 11 and plastic material 12. Manifestly, however, it is possible that I may omit the wires 11 and might also omit the rods 7, and that the corrugated plates A, with or without their rods 7 or wires 11 might be erected in place in a building and plastered over-later with the plastic material 12. The plastic material 12 covers the face of the plate A between the outermost ribs I 2, and when sufliciently hardened the whole forms a portable reinforced concrete or cement slab which can be readily transported and set up and assembled in a small wall or partition, as

will now be described. The slabs are preferably made in the required lengths for a wall or partition of a given height, but they can be sawed or cut to any length, as required. They are stood up on end'in a chanoove 13, Fig. 5, securely fastened to a found idiom or other support 14.

For each wallsection'two slabs are placed back to back, with their flanges 4 overlapping, and the next pair of slabs have thelr anges 4 overlapping or interleafing with the first pair, and so on, as in Fig. '2; each bolt 10 passing through four flanges 4, so that each pair of slabs lsconnected by a narrow stiff vertical metal web across each space 2 in the plane of the wall. The bolts 10 are lnserted through the connecting flanges 4 at suitable intervals, thus binding the adjacent outer and inner slabs together and forming a hollow wall with the flue spaces 15 for vent1lat1on, water plpes, electric wires, etc. This 1s, continued until a wall of the required 7. length is constructed. The space 9 between the adjacent pairs of slabs may be filled with concrete by placing a plank 16 in vertical posltlon form a'mold and filling in at the top. Thls space 9 may also be utilized for the slabs form a finished conduits 18 of any descri tion, and where columns are needed may be studded with vertical rods 17 to form a substantial support for girders or the like. The flues 15' between each pair of outer and inner slabs, besides being utilized. for ventilating purposes, form a dead air insulation against heat and cold and sound. The slabs may also be employed in floor and roof construc-' tion, see Fig. 5, being suficiently strong where properly supported to sustain tremendous weight.

' From the foregoing it will be seen that roductbefore setting into a wall, there ore not requiring specially skilled labor in the construction of a building.

The concrete being comparatively thin over the face of the longitudinal ribs 2, will admit of a limited flexible movement of the plate A, when subjected to a violent shock without dama 'ng the outer face of the wall, the rein orcing bars 7 and diagonal wires 11 preventing the concrete from being shaken olf the back plate A. The wires 11 may be spaced at any suitable intervals and may be disposed vertically, as Well as diagonally, if desired. The ribs or corrugations 2 and thehollow construction of Fig. 2 render the wall extremely strong on compression. The individual plates A, with theircorrugations 2, form a very important feature in this invention, as the ribs may be differently shaped, if desired; the form illustrated in Fig. 4 being occasionally employed.

It is manifest or possible that theconstruction herein specified may" be varied without departing from the principle of the invention, and I desire it to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific form or arrangement of parts, except in so far as such limitations or their mechanical equivalents are specified in the claims. w 7 -Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is-

1. A building element consisting of a thin metal sheet formed with lengthwise extend- I in hollow ribs at intervals, said ribs being su stantially U-shaped in cross section with the legs of the U where it joins the bodyof the sheet drawn in and contracted to form a comparatively narrow opening into the hollow of the rib, said ribs adjacent to their juncture with the body of the sheet being transversely perforated, and truss wires lacedthrough the perforations of alternate ribs and over an intermediate rib.

2. A building element comprising a strip of sheet metal with projecting ribs running lengthwise of the strip, said ribs being perforated, and truss wires lacedthrough the perforations in one rib and over a succeeding rib.

3. A building element comprising a metal strip with lengthwise extending springy ribs projecting from one side of the strip, the ends of the strip being oppositely bent to form flanges, a second similar strip placed back to back therewith, the two strips secured together on their overlapping flanges and inclosing a hollow space, said strips having their ribs perforated, and truss rods woven through the perforations in alternate ribs and over the intermediate ribs.

A. A building element consisting of a sheet metal strip having longitudinally extending springy partially closed ribs, said ribs per forated, and truss rods woven through the perforations of certain of said ribs and passing over other ribs.

5. A building element consisting of a sheet metal strip having longitudinally extending, springy, partially closed ribs, said ribs being perforated, truss rods woven through said perforations, and diagonal brace wires secured to the truss rods.

6. A building element consisting of a sheet metal strip having longitudinally extending springy, partially closed ribs, said ribs being perforated, truss rods woven through said perforations, diagonal brace wires secured to the truss rods, and a second and similar trussed and stayed ribbed strip, with the two strips placed back to back to inolose a hollow flue space.

7. A building element consisting of a sheet metal strip having longitudinally extending springy, partially closed ribs, said ribs being perforated, truss rods Woven through the perforations, diagonal braced wires secured to the truss rods, a second and similar trussed and stayed ribbed strip with the two strips united back to back to form two opposite' walls of a hollow flue space, said strips having lateral flanges forming two remaining opposite walls of the flue space, and a similar pair of united strips connected to the first pair.

8. A building element consisting of a sheet metal strip with longitudinally extending perforated ribs, trussed rods woven through the perforations of certain of the ribs and passing outside of intermediate ribs, said rods having a length in excess of the width of the ribbed portion of the strip and provided with expanded heads.

9. A building element consisting of a sheet metal strip with longitudinally extending perforated ribs, truss rods woven through the perforations of certain of the ribs and passing outside of intermediate ribs, said rods having a length in excess of the width of the ribbed portion of the strip and provided with expanded heads, said ribs and rods embedded in concrete to form a slab.

10. A building element, consisting of a metal plate havin lengthwise extending ribs on one side an lateral angular flanges projecting from the other side, said ribs perforated, and truss rods extending transversely of the plate and interlaced over and through alternate of the ribs.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY L. LEWEN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PENFmLn, CHARLES EDELMAN. 

